Dorothy Abbott Election Statement

I'm passionate about 'cross! Cyclocross is growing at an unbelievably fast pace in the US. Last year, the US hosted more UCI cyclocross events than Belgium, and of course, in 2013, Louisville, KY is host to the Elite Cyclocross World Championships in addition to the Masters World Championships, bringing even more national attention to the sport.

Naturally, cyclocross is also experiencing some growing pains. Some of the regulations that work for small fields of riders don't always work well with the super-sized fields that cyclocross is seeing on the east and west coasts of the US. The starting grid, courses, and regulations are generally designed for a field maximum of 80 riders.

A new means of qualifying riders for our National Cyclocross Championships is needed to ensure that the best riders have a chance at winning without denying riders the opportunity to compete. I've assisted the UCI in developing a system for the Masters World Championships that takes into account that a rider who has "bad luck" in a qualifying round still has a second chance to make it into the finals. They believe this system is good and fair. Such a system could be implemented on the National level, or even in regional races with overly bloated fields.

I've been privileged over the past 7 years to work with 'cross race organizers in each of the USA Cycling Regions at all sizes of events from local series to World Championships. Organizers have helped me understand what drives the growth of their non-UCI categories, and to see what works best in their region of the country. I've trained referees in cyclocross officiating principles, developed an electronic results solution that I've made freely available to race organizers, and helped to develop training materials for cyclocross referees.

I'm also helping to develop a middle- and high-school cyclocross league in the Pacific Northwest. I believe cyclocross provides the ideal platform for a middle and high school cycling program. It will be key to membership growth for USA Cycling, and will drive the level of competition to higher standards in future years as more Juniors take up cycling for fun, cross-training, and sport. Programs such as this will also require some flexibility to regulations. What works for full-sized adults doesn't always work for 12-year-olds in a school league.

Serving on the USAC Cyclocross Committee in the Commissaire position will enable me to bring to the table the voice of the cyclocross race organizers, riders, potential new school leagues, and race referees, while keeping in perspective the larger picture and vision for the future of cyclocross in keeping with the requirements at the upper UCI levels.

I decided to run for this position because race organizers encouraged me to do so. I'm asking for your supporting vote as a race official.

For the love of the sport,

Dorothy Abbott

UCI International Cyclocross Commissaire

Washington State

This Article Published July 20, 2012
For more information contact: tmahoney -at- usacycling dot org

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